Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday, October 7, extended the interim protection granted to former chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR), former Irrigation minister T Harish Rao, former chief secretary SK Joshi, and senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal in the writ petitions challenging the Justice PC Ghose Commission report on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin expressed displeasure over the state government’s delay in filing counter-affidavits, observing that sufficient time had already been given.

The court had earlier fixed October 7 for completing the pleadings, but the Advocate General, appearing for the State, sought an additional two weeks to file the counters.

Allowing the request, the bench cautioned that the pleadings must be completed on the next date of hearing. It also directed that the petitioners would be given two weeks thereafter to file their replies, if needed.

The court clarified that the interim protection earlier granted to the petitioners would remain in force until the next hearing, scheduled for November 12.